For Horwell
by Zivilyn Bane
Summary: Horwell/Owlan. Mia sneaks out on a rainy day and as a result, Horwell isn't quite himself. Owlan decides he'll do something about it. M for sexual content.
1. Chapter 1

"You look extraordinarily miserable today."

After a beat, Horwell removed himself from the window, cheek sliding against the glass with a muffled squeak. The uncharacteristic grimace set in his face made Owlan snort at first, but when he realized whatever had Horwell down was not a laughing matter, he quickly clamped a hand over his mouth to hide the twitching grin.

"Oh, Owlan," he sighed, the exaggeration of it forcing the man in blue to turn away lest he start laughing again, "You can laugh at me. I don't mind. I know it's probably very funny for me to be so glum, but it's just terrible... Mia hasn't come home at all today. And it's been raining and dreary and..." Horwell trailed off with another sigh, his forehead connecting against the fogged window with a soft clink. "Well, I'm worried she won't come back..."

Owlan took another step away as he listened, casually glancing through the open door of Horwell's room. Every time he saw that silly terrycloth tower, he couldn't help but roll his eyes. That Remlit had to have been the envy of every other creature in Skyloft—she had someone waiting on her hand and foot (no, wait, multiple people), a castle that probably rivaled the Temple of Time, the attention of each and every child within sight...

"Horwell," Owlan finally scoffed and waited for the other teacher to turn around again before continuing. "If she doesn't come back, I'd like to see who in Skyloft could have constructed a shrine of worship better than your own."

"But... it's raining."

The simplicity of Horwell's statement brought a faint smile to Owlan's lips. "She will come back. She always does, right? Maybe she likes water. Remlits swim, don't they?"

"...yes, actually. Yes, they do. But swimming and raining are...?" Horwell scratched the back of his head, turning around to pace the length of the hall. "But it's cold and grey and I wouldn't want her to get sick... if I had time, I would go outside and look for her, but I should probably be heading off to class now, shouldn't I?"

"What have you got planned for today?"

Shrugging halfheartedly, Horwell halted in place outside of his room. "Oh, nothing special. More on the extinction of surface animals, I think... Why? Do you think I should I switch to mathematics today?"

"Why don't you ask for some of the students to go outside and find Mia? I'm sure at least half of them would do anything for a few extra points on their next exam. ...Just a suggestion. Think nothing of it. I mean, _I_certainly wouldn't give bonus points, but I do know you'd do anything for that silly animal..."

As Horwell ventured toward the stairs, Owlan began tallying how many times the other man sighed on his way to the classroom. Funny how attached he'd gotten to an animal that wasn't even his... If anything, Mia may as well have belonged to him since Headmaster Gaepora hadn't asked about her in ages. She made Horwell happy, though—all animals did.

But seeing him so distraught was a bit heartbreaking. All of the people in Skyloft Academy agreed unanimously that Horwell was the friendliest and most approachable person in the building. Even students who'd never had a class with him had nice things to say. It wasn't that Horwell's mood affected every occupant of the building, but concern for him would be the talk of the town by nightfall.

One corner of Owlan's mouth curled upward as he returned to his quarters to retrieve his umbrella. Oh, the things he did for this man...


	2. Chapter 2

Mia was curled up beneath the bazaar's overhanging entrance, her ears barely twitching whenever someone walked by. "There you are," Owlan murmured to himself, carefully lowering himself to one knee. When he stroked the top of her head, Mia opened her eyes, yawned, chirped, and went right back to sleep.

"Someone's very worried about you, little kitty… Here, come on, let's…"

Owlan shifted the handle of his umbrella into the crook of his arm and managed to keep it there for a few seconds before it kiltered off to the side when he lifted Mia off of the damp stone platform. She didn't fidget, thankfully, simply waving her legs in the open air as he struggled to balance her in one arm while adjusting his umbrella with the other. Not that the rain seemed to bother her, of course, but Owlan could not say he shared a similar fondness for water.

He glanced down, noticing muddy paw prints on the front of his robe. _For Horwell,_ Owlan quickly reminded himself, wrinkling his nose as Mia's wet tail brushed the side of his face. "Be still, please, we're not going far—_ew_ , you're all wet… Mia, stop, would y—_no._"

Now he was talking to the silly animal like she would understand him. Her scent was sour with rain and dirt and she was already doing a fine job of irritating him, but the way she chirped and nuzzled her face into his shoulder made him feel _different._ What exactly that entailed was still a mystery to Owlan, but the word featured itself quite prominently in his mind.

He'd tolerate her until they returned to the academy, though he admitted to himself that he didn't have much of a choice.

Luckily, Mia cooperated the entire distance, dead asleep in Owlan's arms even when they returned to the humid warmth of his room. She didn't so much as twitch after she'd sprawled out on her side near his feet, purring contentedly.

Owlan supposed it was a bit endearing, but nothing more.

He thumbed through one of many books on his desk, making a note here or there about what plants to clone while he waited for the crescendoing chatter of younger voices. Truthfully, he was nervous that Mia would wake up and request his attention. Giving her a scratch behind the ears wouldn't hurt, but eventually that wouldn't be enough, and she would get curious about the things in his room and start jumping on the tables, knocking things over, eating his plants…

As if on cue, Mia stretched her limbs with another twittering yawn and began grooming herself. When she tilted her head with a questioning purr, Owlan realized he'd been staring at the Remlit longer than what he'd originally intended to focus on. _Stupid thing,_ he thought, rolling his eyes dismissively. So many distractions, and the students weren't even in-between classes!

Rising, he backed away toward the miniature forest growing near his window, keeping careful watch on Mia as he reached back blindly. The bush rustled as his hand closed around a cluster of deku seeds, catching the small creature's attention immediately. Her dark, floppy ears perked up as she bounded over to Owlan's feet, rubbing herself against his bare ankles with a friendly mew, only drawing away when the deku seeds dropped to the floor.

He watched amusedly as Mia began to bat them around the room and finally allowed himself to smile. Fine, she was cute.


	3. Chapter 3

It felt like an eternity before the end of Horwell's afternoon class arrived. With the front of his robes already soiled with dirt and Remlit hair, Owlan hardly cared about how much Mia squirmed and wriggled in an attempt to get comfortable, looking down at her fondly when she finally settled down. The students had probably left the classroom by now, and even if there was a straggler or two, they'd lose interest soon enough.

Horwell was slouched over a table at the front of the room all by his lonesome self, shoulders heaving with yet another sigh as Owlan ventured in. What happened next couldn't stop either of them from laughing.

The dark-haired man caught sight of the furry scamp in his colleague's arms and practically leapt to his feet, positively glowing. "Mia!" he cried, taking her into his arms and rubbing the area between her eyes. "I was very worried about you, my dear. Thank goodness you're back…"

Seeing Horwell overjoyed warmed Owlan's heart significantly, and he turned away in quiet appreciation as the other man continued to fawn over his pet. There he was, smiling and serene as the sun itself, happily reciprocating each headbutt and paw tap Mia delivered to his chin.

A few seconds later, Horwell's much chipper voice broke the silence between them. "Ah, Owlan? You look a bit damp. Did you…?"

"Hm?"

"You went outside to look for her?"

"…perhaps."

Even with his back turned, Owlan could feel Horwell's smile broaden into a radiant grin. He started to leave, knowing his job was finished, but felt a welcoming pair of arms circle his shoulders, holding him in place.

"You have no idea how grateful I am, Owlan. This means quite a lot to me…"

Owlan lifted his arm, linking it around the other man's neck with some unintended clumsiness. "You should know by now that I would do anything to keep you smiling," he replied calmly, relaxing as Horwell's lips brushed against his temple. Inwardly, he was as elated to see Horwell glowing as the other instructor probably was seeing Mia safe and sound.

"Really?" Horwell asked, chuckling when Owlan tilted his head back in mild disbelief.  
>"Do you honestly have to ask that?"<p>

"Well, I don't see why not… But thank you, I do appreciate this so much! You're wonderful, Owlan. Truly." Horwell leaned forward to kiss the corner of Owlan's mouth, still beaming. "It's one of many things I love about you."

"If that's true, I'd think you'd at least do a better job of rewarding me," Owlan scoffed, turning in Horwell's grasp so they faced one another. "Like _this_, Horwell," he corrected, tilting his head to the side before pressing his lips against the other man's. A stroke to each face, hands resting on the back of each other's necks, that lingering static that ignited their thoughts as they separated. The white-haired man lifted his thin eyes expectantly, remaining as stern as he possibly could in such a lighthearted situation. "Not like whatever… whatever _that_ was."

Horwell nodded in agreement, patting Owlan's shoulder before reaching down to lift Mia back into his arms. "Of course. I'll be sure to remember that… I do love how you correct others by example. Shall we?"

Owlan paused, raising an eyebrow. "Shall we…?"

"You know."

"I don't."

"Oh, Owlan, you're so funny. Come on, there's even time for lunch…"


	4. Chapter 4

Once Mia had settled down in one of many cushions laid out for her, Horwell trotted briskly into his neighbor's room, fumbling with the door's lock and making sure the knob didn't twist even though he'd checked and double-checked multiple times. They didn't have long.

Not that time was something either of them needed to worry about—they had perfected their private encounters over the years and whether they were granted a few minutes or a few hours, neither left the other unsatisfied. Owlan and Horwell knew each other well in more than the common sense of the word and no amount of time was too short or too long for either of them.

Sometimes they toyed with one another like the young, inexperienced lovers they were many years ago. Sometimes they treated one another as loveless strangers. No matter what they did, though, there was always an air of familiarity, of courtesy, of understanding.  
>Today, they did not think of any of those things. The only matter that truly concerned them was staying utterly silent: another thing they had practiced to perfection over the years.<p>

They kissed and undressed with noteworthy swiftness, their movements practically symmetrical with one another as they tossed scarves to the floor, untied sashes, opened robes—even with noticeable differences from one another entirely visible now, the duality continued with similar gestures, touches, and glances.

Owlan toppled backwards onto his bed with Horwell hovering over him, his usual gentleness replaced with something that rarely emerged even behind closed doors. There was still that lighthearted playfulness even behind his rough touches and kisses, though, and Owlan vocalized amusedly when the dark-haired man's lips sucked against a vein in his neck, one large hand running down the length of his torso and between his legs. Owlan parted his thighs willingly, focusing his attention on the first flickers of post-rainy sunlight shining through the window.

"Owlan," Horwell murmured against his chest, hand trailing upward to play with a nipple, "What are you thinking about?"

His gaze flicked down to the scene before him and their eyes met very briefly as Horwell rubbed his clothed lower half against him. "Outside?" Owlan half-guessed, unsure of what had been on his mind now that his senses were suddenly (finally, rather) beginning to deviate to his more carnal needs. "The sun came out..."

The other man didn't bother checking for himself, but he smiled against Owlan's chest as he batted silvery hair away from his collarbone. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"  
>"For once, I'm not cert—mm, Horwell, careful..."<p>

Horwell's rough stroking ceased and he opened his hand, settling for two fingers instead, giving the head of Owlan's cock an apologetic stroke. "Outside... Perhaps one night..."  
>Dangerous as it was, Owlan already found himself thrilled by the idea, a shudder running along the length of his body. "Monsters, Horwell," he drawled, tentatively tangling his hand in Horwell's hair as the other man's tender lips kissed down his chiseled torso toward his abdomen. "Not to mention the night watch... But... Maybe..."<p>

Horwell lifted up and silenced him with a clumsy, weighted kiss, keeping a hand pinned on his shoulder while the other continued to work him to hardness. Owlan smoothed the other man's hair back behind his ears, running his hands along Horwell's jaw, down his neck, toward his chest. A right shame that they couldn't savor the moment as long as either of them probably would have liked (damned impulsivity...), but the two men began resolving their sudden lust for one another in a matter of minutes.

Now fully unclothed, they clung to one another, legs intertwined, skin moist and sticky with sweat. Their limbs shook and trembled with careful fragility—the slightest creak of Owlan's bed was enough to spur white-hot panic through both of their minds, and they inverted their positions quickly and quietly, blood thumping at a deafening roar in their ears.

Horwell sucked him forcefully and Owlan found it rather difficult keeping his lover's cock in his mouth in return, his lips quivering uneasily around it. His jaw already felt tired, but he moved his head in unison with Horwell's once the pleasure became a steady constant, teasing and tasting his lover with his usual familiarity. He enjoyed a certain level of Horwell's roughness now and then. At the very least, it was an entertaining change from his usually gentle nature.

A dry finger pushed against his anus and Owlan smacked Horwell's hand away violently two or three times, his hips jerking out of alarm and unexpected arousal. _No,_ the gesture warned, and Horwell laughed around him, the vibrations against his tongue sending a tremor of pleasure up Owlan's spine. It was enough to finally draw a single, audible gasp out of him.

The thought of someone walking in on them both terrified and excited him, and when he became of dim, deep voice of Headmaster Gaepora somewhere in the hall, Owlan gripped Horwell's thigh tightly, digging his nails deep into the soft, pale skin, his entire body going rigid. Horwell drew away with the same suddenness, panting softly, the both of them on the verge of mutual climax.

"Instructor Owlan?" Gaepora asked, rapping at the door.

Owlan felt his soul slither out of his body like a terrible serpent. Cautiously, the white-haired man fumbled around on his hands and knees, gently straddling Horwell's thighs, barely able to resist humping away into oblivion. Deep breath. Horwell began stroking them both together and Owlan almost moaned his response. "I'm listening, Headmaster," he replied, biting down on his lip as he slowed his movements. Horwell did not express the same courtesy.

"Have you seen Horwell? I just saw the strangest creature outside and I wanted to ask him about it..."

Horwell grinned up at him devilishly, stroking faster.

"N... no... I haven't. I think he went to look for Mia since she didn't—_H-Horwell,_" he hissed, pressing down hard on the man's shoulders, reciprocating his touch by grinding along rhythmically. "_Excuse me_—Horwell, er, h-he _aaah—"_ He caught himself with a feigned sneeze, squeezing his eyes shut. "He didn't let her in this morning!"

The following pause lasted an eternity. Thankfully, Gaepora expressed his disappointment and shuffled away. Owlan's golden eyes snapped open and he glared daggers down at the smirking Horwell, raking his nails down along the other man's collarbone to leave marks for all to see. _"Fuck you,"_ he snarled, throwing his head back as his movements suddenly became loose, erratic, beyond his control—

He toppled forward with his lips suckling and biting blindly at Horwell's chin as they came together, riding out a pulsing orgasm for as long as they could. The bed squeaked beneath them and they disregarded it, moaning quietly into and against each other, shivering, trembling, their skin hot and slick.

The sensations died away and Owlan glanced down at the mess on Horwell's stomach, stroking his lover's softening erection gratefully until he finally rolled off to the side, spent, draping an arm over the other man's chest.

"That could have ended badly," Horwell said simply, grinning.

Unable to do much else, Owlan huffed a sigh.


End file.
